Timepiece movement



2 Sheets-Sheet l 0 Filed D60. 24, 1952 friedrim fi? HEY BYQ: g

ATTORNEY Jan. 18, 1955 MEYER 2,699,641

TIMEPIECE MOVEMENT Filed Dec. 24, 1952- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.3

fgiedrim fi ger ATTORNEY United States Patent TIMEPIECE MOVEMENT Friedrich Meyer, Grenchen, Switzerland, assignor to Felsa A. G., Grenchen, Switzerland Application December 24, 1952, Serial No. 327,768

Claims priority, application Germany December 8, 1952 Claims. (Cl. 58-85) My invention relates to a clock or watch movement with an auxiliary device controllable by the barrel and the barrel arbor.

There are known clock or watch movement s, particularly with a self-winding motor spring, in which a device controlled by the barrel and the barrel arbor 1nd1- cates the degree of tension of the motor spring and/or releases and looks a winding weight for the automatic winding of the motor spring, in order to prevent overwinding the latter. As such devices must rotate 1n opposite directions as the spring is being released or wound up, and the barrel is turned on releasing of the spring in the same direction as the barrel arbor on winding up, there is an intermediate gearing, e. g. a planetary gear, inserted between the barrel and the barrel arbor, on the one hand, and the device, on the other hand, the intermediate gearing causing opposite directions of rotation of the device depending upon whether the spring is being released or wound up. In prior constructions, the intermediate gearing is connected both to a pinion of the barrel and to a pinion of the barrel arbor, so that the device is driven by means of this intermediate gearing both by the barrel arbor and the barrel. This arrangement has several drawbacks. The indication of the degree of tension of the motor spring by means of the indicating device is not very accurate because the angular velocity of the relative movement between barrel and barrel arbor, in self-winding watches, is reduced by the intermediate gearing. Moreover the simplest of these known gearings has six wheels. The height of the movement is greater than in watches or clocks without such devices and the main axis of the intermediate gearing is placed sideways with respect to the axis of the barrel arbor, thus increasing the space required.

The clock or watch movement according to the invention is characterized in that the rotation of the barrel is transmitted to the auxiliary device by direct derivation from the barrel and without passing through the intermediate gear. The drive of the device by the barrel is thus obtained parallel to the intermediate gearing and the latter is operative only on the winding of the motor spring, i. e. on turning the barrel arbor. As the angular velocity of the barrel, on the release of the sprmg, can no longer be reduced by the intermediate gearing, the precision of indication of the degree of tension of the spring is substantially greater. The intermediate gearing has now only four wheels. The movement height is no longer larger than in movements without such devices and the main axis of the intermediate gearing coincides with the axis of the barrel arbor, so that the intermediate gearing may be arranged almost completely inside the imaginary cylindrical surface of the barrel, whereby the space required in the work is substantially reduced. Moreover, the security of operation is greater than with the known devices. The drive according to the invention is especially suitable for selfwinding watches the barrel of which is equipped with a sliding strap.

The intermediate gearing may be an ordinary gearing or a planetary gear. The movement of the barrel is for instance transmitted to the driving member of the indicating or other auxiliary device directly by friction effect by means of rolling bodies (balls or rollers) or by teeth, the driving member being arranged coaxially with respect to the barrel.

Two embodiments of the invention will now be furice ther described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view through the axis of the barrel arbor and the axis of rotation of the hand of the auxiliary device showing the first embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a bottom view corresponding to Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the second embodiment of the invention, the view corresponding to Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a bottom view corresponding to Fig. 3.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, barrel 1 and barrel arbor 2 are of usual construction. The barrel arbor 2 is pivoted in the bridge 3 and has a square head 4 on which a wheel 5 of the intermediate gearing is fitted. The wheel 5 bears on an annular bead 6 of the bridge 3. A wheel 7 of the intermediate gearing, which is of the same shape and size as the wheel 5, is freely mounted on a sleeve 8 which is rotatably mounted on the barrel arbor 2. Two transmission wheels 9 and 24 are pivoted in the bridge 3. The wheel 9 meshes with the wheels 5 and 24 and the latter engages the wheel 7. The four wheels 5, 7, 9 and 24 form the intermediate gearing the main axis of which, i. e. the axis of its greater wheels 5 and 7, coincides with the axis of the barrel and of the barrel arbor. Between the wheel 7 of the intermediate gearing and the barrel 1 a driving member for the auxiliary device, shaped as a toothed wheel 10, is freely mounted on the sleeve 8 and coaxially to the barrel. This wheel 10 has three or any other number of holes 11 in which rolling bodies 12 (balls or rollers) are placed. A leaf spring 13 fixed to the sleeve 8 bears against the wheel 7, so that the rolling bodies 12 are held in contact under pressure with the wheel 7 and the barrel 1. In the bridges 14 and 15 the shaft 16 for the hand (not shown) of the auxiliary device is pivoted. This auxiliary device thus forms an indicating device for the momentary degree of tension of the motor spring 26 arranged in the barrel. On the shaft 16 is fixed a toothed wheel 17 which meshes with the driving wheel 10. The auxiliary device might also serve to release and lock the winding Weight for the automatic winding. Owing to the fact that the parts 5, 7 and 1 are coaxial to one another, the intermediate gearing lies practically wholly inside the imaginary cylindrical surface of the barrel 1.

The embodiment described and shown in Figs. 1 and 2 operates as follows: Under the action of the motor spring 26 the barrel 1 turns in the direction of the arrow A in Fig. 2, while the barrel arbor 2 remains at rest. The wheel 5, firmly coupled with the arbor 2, and the other wheels 7, 9 and 24 of the intermediate gearing remain also at rest. The friction pressure produced by the spring 13 permits the barrel 1 to drive the rolling bodies 12 and therewith the toothed wheel 10 also in the direction of the arrow A, while the bodies 12 roll on the motionless wheel 7. During the unwinding of the motor spring 26, the wheel 10 and therewith the auxiliary device are thus driven under direct derivation from the barrel and without passing through the intermediate gearing 5, 7, 9 and 24.

During the winding of the watch or clock, the arbor 2 is turned in the direction of the arrow B in Fig. 2, i. e.

in the same direction as that of the arrow A. The barrel remains at rest. The wheel 5 is also rotated in the direction of the arrow B, the wheel 9 in the reverse direction, the wheel 24 again in the direction of the arrow B and the wheel 7 in the reverse direction. The friction pressure between the wheel 7 and the rolling bodies 12 permits this wheel to drive the wheel 10 in the same direction, i. e. in clockwise direction (Fig. 2), the bodies 12 rolling on the motionless barrel 1. The wheel 10 is now rotated in the opposite direction as on being driven by the barrel 1, so that also the auxiliary device is turned in the reverse direction.

If on automatic winding of the motor spring, barrel and barrel arbor move simultaneously, but with different speeds, the barrel 1 and the wheel 7 of the intermediate gearing act simultaneously on the whel 10 and a diiferential effect results therefrom.

The embodiment of Figs. 3 and 4 diifers from the first embodiment only in that the intermediate gearing is a planetary or epicyclic gear, while the other parts are as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In this second embodiment a toothed rim 19 is fixed on a shoulder 18 of the bridge 3 and on the square head 4 of the barrel arbor 2 an arm 20 is fitted, which carries at its free end two planet wheels 21 and 22 firmly coupled to each other. The wheels 21 and 22 are rotatably mounted on the arm 20. As the gear ratio between the wheels 22 and 21 is 1:2, the angular velocity of the barrel arbor remains unchanged in absolute value when transmitted to the indicating device, while the direction of rotation is reversed. The planet wheel 22 meshes with the fixed toothed rim 19 and the planet wheel 21 cooperates with a wheel 23 which is freely mounted on the sleeve 8, the latter being rotatably mounted on the barrel arbor 27 Here also a spring 13 serves to produce the necesary pressure between the parts 23, 12 and 1.

The main axis of the intermediary gearing, i. e. the axis of the greatest wheel 23 coincides with the axis of the barrel 1, so that the planetary intermediate gearing consisting of the four wheels 19, 22, 21 and 23, lies almost completely inside the imaginary cylindrical surface of the barrel 1.

The embodiment of Figs. 3 and 4 operates as follows: Under the action of the motor spring 26 the same operation occurs as in the case of Figs. 1 and 2, i. e. the entire intermediate gearing remains at rest and the driving wheel of the auxiliary device is driven by means of the rolling bodies 12 directly from the barrel 1 without passing through the intermediate gearing.

During the winding of the watch or clock the barrel arbor 2 is rotated again in the direction of the arrow B in Fig. 4, i. e. in the same direction A as the barrel 1 under the action of the motor spring. The arm moves also in the direction of the arrow B, and the wheel 22, which rolls on the fixed toothed rim 19, turns in counterclockwise direction in Fig. 4 and drives thereby the planet wheel 21 in the same direction. The wheel 21 rotates the wheel 23 in clockwise direction and the latter drives, by means of the rolling bodies 12, the wheel 10 in the same direction, i. e. in the reverse direction as on being driven by the barrel 1. If the barrel 1 and the barrel arbor 2 are rotated simultaneously, a differential effect results as in the first embodiment.

Instead of a friction drive between the driving member 10 and the barrel 1 and intermediate gearing respectively, a toothing drive might be provided. This drive may, for instance, be obtained by means of small pinions arranged in the wheel 10.

in both embodiments described, the parts 10 and 7 or 23 are maintained on the sleeve 8 by the spring 13 owing to the flange 25 of the sleeve 8. If the holes 11 are pierced with an ununiform diameter, so that the holes 11 have a smaller diameter at their upper end in Figs. 1 and 3, then the rolling bodies 12 cannot drop out before assembling. The parts 12, 13, 8, 10, 7 (or 23) can thus he mountted as a Whole set on the arbor 2, this facilitating assembling considerably. After having mounted this set the part 5 or arm 20 is put in place onto the square head 4.

While I have described and illustrated two embodiments of my invention, I do not wish to unnecessarily limit the scope of my invention, but reserve the right to make such modifications and rearrangements of the several parts as may come within the purview of the accompanying claims.

What I claim is:

l. A timepiece movement comprising a barrel, a spring carried by the barrel, a rotatable auxiliary drive responsive to the degree of winding of the spring, intermediate gearing including differential means in driving connection with the auxiliary drive for driving same in one direction upon rotation of the barrel and in the reversed direction upon rotation of the arbor, the diiferential means including a plurality of rolling bodies for movement of the drive, the rolling bodies in direct contact with the barrel, a driven member for the intermediate gearing in direct contact with the rolling bodies, and spring means providing contact between the barrel and the rolling bodies and the intermediate gearing driven member so that the rolling bodies are rolled by friction effect upon relative movement of the barrel and the arborv 2. A timepiece movement comprising a barrel, a spring carried by the barrel, a rotatable auxiliary drive responsive to the degree of winding of the spring, intermediate gearing including differential means in direct engagement with the barrel, an arm carried by the barrel arbor, and a pair of coupled planet gears carried by the arm, the diameters of the planet gears in the ratio of 1:2.

3. A timepiece movement comprising a barrel-springarbor main drive, a rotatable auxiliary drive responsive to the degree of winding of the spring, and intermediate gearing including differential means in driving connection with the auxiliary drive for driving same in one direction upon rotation of the barrel and in the reversed direction upon rotation of the arbor, the differential means in direct engagement with the barrel, the main axis of the intermediate gearing and the axis of the drive coinciding with the axis of the barrel.

4. A timepiece movement comprising a barrel-springarbor main drive, an auxiliary drive responsive to the degree of winding of the spring, intermediate gearing including differential means in operative connection with the auxiliary drive for moving same in one direction upon rotation of the barrel and in the reversed direction upon movement of the arbor, the intermediate gearing including two wheels coaxial with the barrel arbor, one of said wheels rigidly fixed to the arbor, the other of said wheels rotatable on the barrel arbor and operatively engaged with the auxiliary drive, two intermeshing transmission wheels, and a stationary part of the movement providing pivoting means for the transmission wheels, each of the transmission wheels operatively engaged with one of said coaxial wheels.

5. A timepiece movement comprising a barrel-springarbor main drive, an auxiliary drive responsive to the degree of winding of the spring, intermediate gearing including differential means in operative connection with the auxiliary drive for moving same in one direction upon rotation of the barrel and in the reversed direction upon movement of the arbor, be intermediate gearing including two planet wheels, 21 fixed toothed rim coaxial with the barrel arbor, one of the planet wheels operatively engaged with the toothed rim, and a Wheel rotatably carried by the arbor, the other of the planet wheels opera- I tively engaged with the rotatably carried wheel for move ment of the auxiliary drive through the differential means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

